Yes Virginia, Elections Are Stolen

Recently I attended a fundraising carnival at our local elementary school. At one attraction I watched as some kids placed a pole with a string on it through one of several holes in a plywood wall painted to look like a fishing pond. A parent hidden on the other side would then attach a little toy gift to a clip at the end of the string. After a little tug on the string, the excited child would reel in their catch. Now the little toy was the same no matter which hole through which the kid chose to drop his makeshift line and hook.

This reminds me of Tuesday’s voting racket in Virginia. No matter the choice, you end up with the same person as Governor. The voter goes to the poll, casts a ballot and finds that someone other than whom they cast a ballot has been declared the winner. How is this possible? Obviously, you say, the other candidate received more votes. Well yes and no. There are games being played that on the surface look proper and on the up and up, but dig a little deeper and you’ll find the hand in the cookie jar.

As newly elected Governor of Virginia, Terry McAuliffe celebrates his victory at the polls, but it should be pointed out that it was not fairly gained or should I say, ethically attained. It was not a moral victory. McAuliffe should be ashamed, but shame isn’t a common part of the liberal psyche.

Most of us teach our children from the earliest of ages to play fair. As adults, we assume adults are playing fair. As voters, we assume our candidates and political parties are playing fair. As viewers, we assume our media is playing fair. Now nearly all of us who are even slightly informed know that the media and the political parties spin almost everything, if not out and out lie to us. And unfortunately, the game of politics, far too often, has become the same shell game of lies, character assassination and subversion of the process.

Politics is a game, like any other. But over the years it has become a shrewd game. Tactics and strategy are employed, huge amounts of money are spent. However, there is a hypocrisy involved. Unlike the “loopholes” in the tax code that liberals scream about as unfair — there are “loopholes” in politics that liberals love to exploit. Loopholes that are used to undermine or rig the voting game in favor of their side, their candidate.

Subversive tactics are nothing new. But subversive tactics, no matter who is doing it, are unethical and undermine liberty, rather than enhance it. As the Founding Fathers repeatedly warned us, liberty cannot prevail in the absence of virtue.

When I was working in Iowa in 1996 for the Pat Buchanan campaign, others working for another GOP candidate were suspected of subversive actions against the Buchanan campaign, by doing such unethical things as cancelling reservations for hotel rooms and chartered buses in order to throw chaos into the entourage of campaign staff and media. This sent our side scrambling, wasting valuable time and focus undoing the damage. And this from (while adversaries) other Republicans, other supposed conservatives. If this seems even a little over the top, most voters couldn’t begin to imagine what happens between campaign staff when it’s a general election (especially a national election), Democrat versus Republican. Do or die! The gloves come off. It’s nasty!

In the Virginia Governor race, the will of the people was thwarted. Not because of any voting machine irregularities or polling place intimidation or lost ballots. The election was stolen because the Democrat Party and the McAuliffe campaign colluded in bringing in third party candidate, Libertarian Robert C. Sarvis by assisting him with donations ensuring his ability to get on the ballot. He was specifically helped with donations from liberal software billionaire bundler Joe Liemandt. This subversive, unethical tactic was to skim off enough conservative leaning libertarian votes to Sarvis, swaying a close election into McAuliffe’s favor. Their plan worked like a charm!

With 7% of the vote, Robert C. Sarvis effectively took the election away from Cuccinelli and gave it to McAuliffe. The plan worked masterfully. McAuliffe has been declared the winner, yet had those 7% (which the bulk most likely would have) gone to Ken Cuccinelli, he would have easily been the winner and next Governor of Virginia.

So you see how the people of Virginia (or any other state) collectively can vote conservative/libertarian and still end up with a liberal Democrat governor or Senator? It is called divide and conquer. It’s called pitting one against another. It’s how those who love and believe deeply in liberty keep their government in the hands of socialists and never seem to figure out why.

The problem with politics today is that while it is fun and exciting, invigorating, informative and sometimes frustrating for some of us, it has become tactically an unethical game of cheaters who prosper. The ultimate victim is liberty and the Republic herself.

“Sell not virtue to purchase wealth, nor Liberty to purchase power,” Benjamin Franklin warned. Yet we seem not to take this truth seriously by holding those who would subvert liberty to the humility of defeat. Instead we give them the power for which their addiction is so desirous — that they will lie and cheat in order to attain it.

Power in the hands of the unwise and the corrupt will surely be abused. I predict it won’t be long before McAuliffe and his band of lying cheats find themselves in some hot water for voter related or unrelated crimes.

Jefferson warned us that “The cornerstone of democracy rests on the foundation of an educated electorate.” Once on your hook, don’t let these bottom dwellers get away with putting bait fish on your line and telling you to be happy with your catch.

The views expressed in this opinion article are solely those of their author and are not necessarily either shared or endorsed by EagleRising.com

About the author

David Whitley

David is a deacon at his local church and a perpetual student of religion, politics and American history. Author, speaker, blogger, David lives in Southern California with his wife and their three children. You can follow him on Twitter @cogitarus or online at cogitarus.wordpress.com. He's available for speaking engagements upon request.

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